Here’s what was on the Lake Elmo City Council agenda Tuesday: streets and utilities.

Here’s what was not on the agenda: insults, rudeness, eye-rolling.

“I am kind of proud of that,” said Mayor Mike Pearson. The two meetings in 2017 have been more civil than those in the previous two years, and Pearson says they are a turning point for the troubled city.

Council member Christine Nelson was elected in November and took office this month. She replaces Anne Smith, who chose not to run for re-election.

Nelson has shifted the balance of power on the council, breaking up a well-established voting bloc and — possibly — replacing it with another one.

Council member Justin Bloyer said the council is taking steps to change its reputation as quarrelsome and dysfunctional. The problems that plagued the city in the past — high employee turnover, long meetings, and a higher insurance deductible — might be easing.

“I think the citizens are giving a sigh of relief,” Bloyer said. “For me, the meetings aren’t as painful anymore.”

The council is trying to heal self-inflicted wounds from the past two years.

Christine Nelson

In January 2015, newly elected Julie Fliflet and Jill Lundgren joined the council. They formed an alliance with Smith.

For the past two years, the three women voted as a bloc about 85 percent of the time. Most of the council’s controversial votes followed a pattern of 3-2, with Fliflet, Lundgren and Smith voting against Pearson and Bloyer.

By 3-2 votes, the council decided to hire a parliamentarian to observe meetings, set up a building moratorium, and block the $485 million Gold Line rapid-transit bus.

In 2015, City Administrator Dean Zuleger left after the council decided, again on a 3-2 vote, not to renew his contract. He is suing the city.

Turnover of City Hall employees shot up to 90 percent in one year — and current city administrator Kristina Handt is the city’s sixth in eight years.

The council censured Smith and Bloyer for allegedly harassing city employees. Bloyer was forbidden to speak to city employees during meetings.

The brouhaha proved expensive.

The League of Minnesota Cities raised Lake Elmo’s insurance deductible to $200,000 from $500, saying that the council’s in-fighting increased the risk of lawsuits.

VOTES ARE CHANGING

Now, the voting patterns of the council are changing — but it’s not clear exactly how.

Political newcomer Nelson campaigned with Pearson and Bloyer, and so might be expected to vote with them in a new voting bloc.

Mike Pearson

“If there is a majority, it is a majority that is interested in moving away from the division of the last two years,” said Pearson. “It’s a majority willing to compromise.”

Although the courtesy during meetings has improved, it doesn’t mean everyone on the council is happy.

In an email to the Pioneer Press on Wednesday, Fliflet called the mayor “arrogant and biased” in his conduct of the meetings.

She attacked recent council decisions regarding employee salaries and the makeup of the city’s advisory councils. Lundgren declined to comment for this report.

On Tuesday, the council listened respectfully to a series of citizens, commenting on City Hall security, the women’s bathroom at City Hall and the makeup of advisory committees.

Several had concerns related to the proposed 292-home Royal Golf Course Community, on the site of the former Tartan Park golf course.

The council members listened, and then passed two measures allowing the project to advance.

Each vote was unanimous, which administrator Handt found significant.

“That is a healthy sign,” she said.

In fact, the same kind of variation occurred at the Jan. 3 meeting.

At that meeting, five votes were split along the old fault lines, with Fliflet and Lundgren in the minority. But there were 11 unanimous votes, and six others in which members of the two factions mingled their votes.

Bloyer said that making meetings more functional is the priority of the new council, and getting the insurance deductible back down to $500.

He said staff morale was improving and gave credit to administrator Handt, who was hired in March 2016.

“Kristina is a breath of fresh air,” said Bloyer. “Our goal is to stabilize the city as much as possible.”

Bob is a 40-year veteran (yes, he is grizzled) who edited one Pulitzer Prize winner and wrote two that were nominated. He has also worked in Des Moines, Colorado Springs and Palo Alto. He writes about the suburbs, the environment, housing, religion -- anything but politics. Secret pleasures: Kayaking on the Mississippi on the way to work, doughnuts brought in by someone else. Best office prank: Piling more papers onto Fred Melo’s already trash-covered desk.

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